Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1887-04-01
THREE SISTERS.
The Wealthiest in the Country
More Than Four Millions Left
to Each OF Them.
Burdened With 1t, and Can't Give 1t Away
Fast Enough-Their Simple, Unos-
tentRtioug Life.

PHILADELPHIA, March 26.-The three
daughters of the late F. A. Drexel, the
wealthy banker Of this city, who are tray
cling abroad, have reached Rome. a
great deal of attention has been shown
them in the Eternal city. They have been
entertained by some of the Roman nObil-
ity and by many of the American and Eng
lish residents. They were also presented
in private audience to the Pope, who had
already heard of their munifcent chart
ties, and also Of those OF their dead father.
They are all three Of g deeply religious
turn of mind and write gOWingly OF their
visit TO the Holy Father. Even While
abroad they keep up their home charities
and write constantly concerning the great
home for boys and girls, Just outside this
city, that is being erected at their expense.
Their late father gave outright a million
and half of dollars to Roman Catholic
charities. The remainder of his fortune,
amounting to
OVER SIS, 600,
he left, share and share alike, to his
daughters for life. If the young ladies'
marry, the fortune will 60 to their chill
dren; if any remain single, it will go to
the children of the one er two VINO may
marry; if all remain unmarried, the en-
tire fortune will, after the death of all
three, be divided in equal proportions
among TIE charities mentioned in their
late fathers will, and TO whom the million
and 8 half has already been awarded; the
same result will follow if they marry and
have no issue.
The immense fortune in the hands of
the three young girls literally OverWhelms
them. They don't know what to do with
it. Four millions and more in the hands
of each of the three girls! 1t is no wonder
that they feel burdened. They can't
spend the money. They can't give 1t
away fast enough. The home for boys
that they have founded will associate
their name for generations with one OF the
greatest institutions of its kind in the
world. Such a retreat to be founded by
young girls has been
UNHEARD OF HITHERTO
in the worlds history. 1t is intended to
rival in material, extent and educational
scope Girard College. The first cost is to
be S25O,OOO, and the young girls subse-
quently are to pay the entire expense of
carrying on the institution. The build
iLgs are now well under way, and will be
ready for occupancy before many months.
The young ladies, during their tour
abroad, have been visiting all the princi-
pal continental institutions for the eduCa
ton of the young, and write that they
have acquired much knO Wedge that will
be of use in carrying out their great pro-
IeCt. Although so wealthy, there has
been no show whatever associated with
their tour abroad. They live in the
simplest manner, and their retinue of SER
wants consists Of just two persons. They
live in the same unOstentatiOus manner at
home. They have town house in the
fashionable quarter on Walnut street, and
i beautiful country place about sixteen
miles from the city. They love the fields
and the river, and spend only about three
months in the year in the city. They care
nothing whatever for fashionable society,
and are rarely met at festive gatherings.
They are
HOROUGHLY-TRAINED BUSINESS WOMEN.
Up il all the mysteries of bookkeeping,
and they themselves keep all the accounts
in connection with the everyday admins
tratiOn of their fortune. Their reCrea-
tions are chiefly outdoor pleasures. They
are skillful horse-women, trained from
childhood to ride. They have stable of
fine horses, and or e meets them riding
miles around their country place. A ride
of ten miles is an ordinary indulgence, and
a run Of twenty miles has not worn them
altogether out. They are fond of dogs,
too, and they have at least fifty Of the
faithful creatures running in and about
their home. Their personal expenditures
do not equal tenth of the sum they give
away yearly in charity. They have long
list Ofpensioners who depend largely upon
them for support; many old friends and
pensioners also of their late father and
mother. They are also regular sub
scribers to a great many charitable insti-
tutiOns.
BEGGING LETTERS POUR IN
upon them by the hundred. But, though
they are not deaf to any worthy appeal,
most of these epistles they promptly and
prudently consign to the flames. There
is a chapel near to their house. OF course,
they pay most of the current expenses of
that. too. Still. there they probably get
their moneys worth, for they attend
early service there every day. They
teach Sunday school in their own house,
having class of sixty or seventy boys
and girls gathered from the country side.
While abroad, all their various charities
are kept up by people whom they specially
designate for that purpose. Thus the
good work goes on Ceaselessly. Alto
gether they are an excellent trio for the
three richest unmarried sisters in the
United States.